Am I a Candidate for Otoplasty?

Otoplasty is a popular surgical procedure among children and adults. The cosmetic surgery is performed on the external ears to enhance their appearance by reshaping one or both ears. Otoplasty is typically performed on children between the ages of 4 and 14 as well as adults who did not have the surgery as a child.

Good Reasons for Otoplasty

• A person was born with ears that are overly prominent
• A patient has ears that are not in proportion with the other facial features
• An injury has caused the ears to have an asymmetrical appearance
• A dissatisfaction with the appearance of the ears

Bad Candidates for Otoplasty

• Patients under the age of 4 because their ears are still growing
• Making a change in the appearance of the ears to make someone else happy
• Patients who do not have realistic expectations about the results
• Patients who are not in general good health

Cost Expectations

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that the average cost of otoplasty is between $3000 and $6000. Please note that this price does not include any surgeon’s fees, surgical facility fees or anesthesia fees. There can also be price fluctuations as the total cost varies from city to city and according to the fees charged by more experienced doctors.

Choosing the Type of Otoplasty Surgery

In general, otoplasty reshapes one or both ears. When it comes to having otoplasty, there are many types of otoplasty available to patients:

• Ear Pinning/Reconstructive Otoplasty – The surgery starts with an incision behind the ears to expose the cartilage. The cartilage is then reshaped and any excess skin is removed. The ear is then repositioned so it is closer to the head and the incision is closed with sutures or stitches.
• Bilateral Otoplasty – Some patients only want to have one ear corrected while other patients want both ears corrected. Bilateral otoplasty is ear pinning that is performed on both ears in the same manner as surgery on a single ear.
• Ear Reduction – Some patients are less concerned about the amount of protrusion of their ears and are more concerned about the shape and size of the ears. Ear reduction surgery removes unwanted skin and cartilage in order to reshape the ear into a more natural looking and smaller size. It also provides symmetry and balance to the ears and face.

Risks and Complications

Patients should enter any surgery fully aware of any potential risks and complications. Some of the most common risks and complications of otoplasty include:

• Infection of the cartilage and skin
• Blood clots in the ear
• Asymmetric correction
• Placing the ears too close to the head
• Loosening the sutures by not properly following post-op instructions
• Hearing loss (this is a rare complication)

Recovery Information

Immediately following the surgery, the head of the patient is wrapped in cotton bandages that are heavily padded in order to protect the ears during the initial healing process. These bandages will be removed after a few days and replaced by a lighter bandage for the rest of the first post-op week. Following the first week, patients need to wear a soft headband for several more weeks to cover the ears and hold them in their post-op position. Normal activities can be resumed after one week. A full recovery from otoplasty takes around six weeks.

Otoplasty Results

As long as patients follow the post-op instructions from their doctor, the final results seen from otoplasty are permanent. Patients need to take great care and properly protect their ears following their surgery.

-MA